NCAA Football Predictions: Week 11 Opening Line Report and Picks

This past weekend was a terrific one in college football as the first
Saturday in November usually is. Week 11? Meh. Let's just call it letdown
Saturday, where you could see a bunch of heavy favorites be rather sluggish
and not cover coming off huge matchups in Week 10. There are only a couple
of ranked teams facing off, and both probably will be blowouts.

So, let's talk about Urban Meyer, shall we? His No. 10 Buckeyes (rankings
from the last CFP Top 25 and could change Tuesday) visit Michigan State in
what looked to be one of the Big Ten's Games of the Year. It's still
vitally important for OSU as it can't afford another loss and still hope
for an East Division winner-take-all game vs. Michigan to close the regular
season. This game has lost some luster because Michigan State has
disappointed, although injuries have played a big role.

It has been a rough year for Meyer, who had his reputation dragged through
the mud with that whole Zach Smith affair. If Meyer wasn't one of the most
successful college coaches ever, he surely would have been fired because of
what happened under his watch. Instead, a grateful school only suspended
him three games.

If you have watched any Buckeyes games with Meyer on the sideline this
year, he really hasn't looked physically well at times - it harkens back to
2010 when Meyer didn't really look right while coaching Florida. He would
step aside one year for health reasons before returning at Ohio State.

Rumors are just that, but they get credence when started by credible
sources. I would say that ESPN's Paul Finebaum (loudmouth but usually
right) and Kirk Herbstreit (former Buckeyes QB and a very influential alum)
have credibility, and both have said to the effect they believe this will
be Meyer's last year on the sideline because of health problems.

Meyer has said he "plans" on coaching next year but then seemed to offer an
out last week when he revealed a cyst in his brain, first diagnosed in
1998, still causes severe headaches. He had a surgical procedure in March
2014 to drain fluid in the cyst in an attempt to relieve headaches. Meyer
said it was responsible for him dropping to his knees on the sideline
during a game against Indiana. The 54-year-old added this condition has
nothing to do with the Smith problems, but I'd guess stress isn't great for
a brain cyst. It's called a "serious yet manageable" problem.

Usually where there's smoke there's fire. If the Buckeyes do win it all
this year, I'd make it even money that Meyer isn't back next year as he
could leave on top. If I had to give a number on whether he returns
overall, maybe -200? When Ryan Day took over as interim coach during the
suspension, there was talk he was being made coach-in-waiting but really
nothing since then. Stay tuned!

No. 23 Fresno State at Boise State, Friday (+2.5):
These schools could play four times in the span of a year depending on what
happens here. They closed the 2017 regular season against one another, with
Fresno winning at home over the No. 23 Broncos. That game meant nothing,
though, as they knew they were playing the next week in the Mountain West
title game. Computers decided where they would be played (not going into
that, but rules have changed regarding the host this year) and it was on
the blue turf of Boise. The Broncos won that 17-14. Both could return to
that game, just one could or neither. Fresno is atop the West Division at
5-0 and Boise is game behind 5-0 Utah State in the Mountain. The Broncos
close the regular season at home vs. USU. Pretty rare to see Boise as a
home dog - last happened on Oct. 23, 1999 vs. Nevada. The Broncos have won
their past three as home dogs. The pick: Boise.

No. 2 Clemson at No. 22 Boston College (+17.5):
Steve Addazio entered on the hot seat at BC but has done a fine job as the
Eagles could win the ACC Atlantic Division with a huge upset here. BC is a
game behind Clemson and still has to go to Florida State and host a pretty
good Syracuse team. Addazio has one of the nation's top running backs in
A.J. Dillon, but good luck against that stellar Tigers defense loaded with
future NFL first-round picks. Ever since a close call vs. Syracuse on Sept.
29, Clemson is just destroying people. It probably got Bobby Petrino fired
from Louisville thanks to Saturday's 77-16 wipeout of the Cardinals.
Clemson, which would clinch the Atlantic with a victory, has won seven
straight in the series, all but one by double digits and the past three by
a combined 90 points. It was 34-7 last year. The pick: BC.

Northwestern at No. 16 Iowa (-10):
Important game in the Big Ten West Division and will help determine which
team from that division loses in convincing fashion to either Michigan or
Ohio State in the conference title game. The Wildcats have a one-game lead
over Wisconsin and Purdue in the West and two over the Hawkeyes. I thought
Northwestern had a reasonable chance of upsetting Notre Dame this past
Saturday in Evanston, but the Irish escaped 31-21. It was just a 3-point
game with three minutes left. Northwestern has won the past two in the
series, each by seven points. Iowa's division chances probably vanished
with Saturday's 38-36 loss at Purdue. Spencer Evans made a 25-yard field
goal with 8 seconds left. The next win for Iowa's Kirk Ferentz will be his
150th career. Woody Hayes, Amos Alonzo Stagg, Bo Schembechler
and Joe Paterno are the only Big Ten coaches in that club. Iowa probably
won't be ranked any longer in Tuesday's new CFP Top 25. Northwestern has
won the past two in the series, each by a TD. The pick:
Northwestern.